Government Benefits for Newcomers: 2 Forms You Need

Government benefits for newcomers to Canada are real money most people leave on the table: a family with one child under 6 and a modest income can receive over $8,000 a year, tax-free, through a single federal benefit most newcomers don’t apply for until months after they’d have qualified. The gap usually isn’t eligibility, it’s not knowing which form to fill out on day one.

I’ve seen newcomers wait for their first tax return before applying for anything, assuming benefits only start once you’re “in the system.” That’s backwards. Two specific forms exist precisely so you don’t have to wait.

This post covers government benefits for newcomers to Canada: what you can actually get, the two forms that matter, why filing taxes every year matters even at zero income, and how provincial programs stack on top. Let’s get into it!

Government benefits for newcomers to Canada: what you can actually get

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) pays up to $8,157 per year for each child under 6, and up to $6,883 per year for each child aged 6 to 17, for the July 2026 to June 2027 payment period. It’s tax-free and reduces as your family’s adjusted net income rises above $38,237, but families well above that threshold still receive a partial amount. The CRA’s own benefits, credits, and taxes for newcomers page is the authoritative rundown of everything government benefits for newcomers to Canada actually cover.

The GST/HST credit is a separate quarterly payment (currently being transitioned toward a renamed Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, per the CRA’s own site, though the exact timing and amounts were still in flux as of this writing). Rather than quote a number likely to be stale by the time you read this, use the CRA’s own child and family benefits calculator to get your real, current estimate.

The two forms that matter

If you have no children, file Form RC151 (GST/HST Credit and Canada Carbon Rebate Application for Individuals Who Become Residents of Canada) online, for the first year you become a resident, before your first tax return is even due. Only one application per household is needed.

If you have children under 19, download and mail Form RC151 together with Form RC66 (Canada Child Benefit Application), attaching proof of birth for each child. The RC66 information also determines your GST/HST credit eligibility, so filing it covers both benefits in one submission.

File taxes every year, even at $0

After your first year, the CCB and GST/HST credit are recalculated automatically each July based on the tax return you filed for the previous year, not through a fresh application. Skip a year’s tax return, even with zero reportable income, and your payments can pause until the CRA has something to calculate from.

File by April 30 each year to avoid any disruption. If you do file late, the CRA still assesses your return and pays any missed amount retroactively once it’s processed, so a late filing costs you a delay, not the benefit itself.

Provincial programs vary by where you land

The CRA also administers several provincial and territorial child and family benefit programs on top of the federal CCB, some paid together as a single combined deposit, others paid separately depending on your province. Which ones apply, and how much they add, depends entirely on where you settle.

Broader social assistance (provincial welfare) works the same way: it’s provincial jurisdiction, not federal, so eligibility rules for permanent residents, protected persons, and other newcomer categories genuinely differ by province. Check your specific province’s income or social assistance office directly rather than assuming the rules from one province apply everywhere.

Government benefits for newcomers to Canada work best as part of a bigger financial plan, not a standalone task. If you’re also sorting out medical coverage, housing costs and availability, or registering for language classes, those all touch the same household budget these benefits are meant to support.

A few more pieces worth lining up early: opening a newcomer bank account, building credit from zero, transferring foreign professional credentials if your profession is regulated, and weighing the realistic pros and cons of the move itself.